The Cultural Legacy and Impact of the Star Wars Films

It is difficult to envision a series of films more influential on the culture of the United States and the world at large than the original Star Wars films. These films not only reflected the influence of the Cold War mentality of the time period, with their focus on extremes of good and evil, but also profoundly influenced American culture, and even political decisions, with echoes of the films found in the governmental rhetoric and technological decisions of the era. Quite clearly, it is impossible to separate the massive popularity and conception of these science fiction films from the cultural and political realities of the Cold War, and it is undeniable that the acclaim and influence of these films, in turn, had profound effects on the American culture of politics and entertainment. A detailed consideration of the cultural impact of the Star Wars franchise is essential to a proper understanding of the interplay between filmmaking and culture in the United States.

To understand the impact of the Star Wars on American culture it is first and foremost vitally important to place the film within the context of the Cold War tensions that ruled American society at the time. Specifically, the conception of the Death Star within the film reflects the real-world fears surrounding the Cold War buildup of nuclear weapons. As Nick Desloge states, “If there could be one distinguishing object within the original Star Wars trilogy, many would argue for the Death Star, just as many people would argue that the most important object in the Cold War was nuclear weapons, as both have the potential for massive destruction and create fear that permeated their respective worlds.” Quite clearly, the main events and symbols of the films are therefore reflective in a larger sense of the American culture and politics of the time period, which were completely and irrevocably related to the massive impact of the Cold War on every aspect of American life. However, it is important to note that the films not only reflected the culture of the time period but profoundly influenced it ways that go well beyond a simple dramatic interpretation of contemporary events.

While in many ways Star Wars was largely a science fiction interpretation of the political and cultural climate of Cold War America, the success of the films had a remarkable impact on the very culture depicted within the pictures. No events better illustrate the almost inconceivably massive cultural impact of the Star Wars films better than several actions of the Reagan administration that relate directly to the concepts and ideas expressed within the work. As Frances FitzGerald states, when Reagan announced the creation of the Strategic Defense Initiative, a program to shoot enemy nuclear missiles out of the sky, “the project was immediately dubbed “Star Wars” in the press. The title was a reflection not merely on the improbability of making nuclear missiles ‘impotent and obsolete’ but on the fact that Reagan in a speech just two weeks before had spoken of the Soviet Union as ‘the Evil Empire’...those who later maintained that Reagan took his inspiration for SDI from the movies were not joking at all.” The films had such a massive and undeniable cultural impact that phrases from the pictures had entered the lexicon of the leader of the free world, and the depiction of the wonders of technology in the films had directly inspired the creation of one of the most important national defense programs of the time period. The enormous cultural impact of the films on American society is extremely apparent when their political impact is examined in context. However, it is important to note that the films did not necessarily inspire the political events of the time period that are so inextricably linked to their success, but rather that their success and cultural cache allowed various ideologies to become linked with the films in the mind of the public.

While Reagan’s technological and rhetorical association with the films is one of the most important and under-analyzed aspects of their cultural legacy, it is vital to establish that rather than reflecting any political ideology inherent to the work, this connection largely simply reflects the enormous cultural impact of the films. As Peter Kramer states, “the cultural currency and political efficacy of Reagan’s vision derived to a considerable extent from its association with George Lucas’s 1977 science-fiction fairy tale Star Wars.” This means that, in the context of the cultural impact of the films, it is most important to note that they were simply such an unimaginably ubiquitous cultural phenomenon that linking political policies to the imagery of the films had an incredibly profound effect on the public conception of the program. The fact that the “Star Wars” label for the SDI program was embraced by both critics and supporters of the system speaks volumes about the cultural legacy and import of the films during this time period, as well as their beautifully nuanced depiction of certain subject matter. It is therefore extremely important to examine the intention of the films compared to their profound cultural impact to see the connection between these concepts.

While the cultural implications of the Star Wars films were certainly enormous and far-reaching, it is essential to examine the true intentions of the film compared to the sweeping impact of their success on the American cultural landscape. As Lucas’s longtime friend and collaborator Steven Spielberg stated when asked for a comment on the cultural legacy of Star Wars, “Lucas was the most surprised kid on the block when Star Wars became a megahit. He had tapped a nerve that not only went deep but global…I think George realized the meaning of what he had done as much from the critiques he read, and the psychological analysis they pinned to Star Wars as from his own introspection.” This quotation emphasizes the idea that while Star Wars certainly had a dramatic impact on American culture and society, it was largely due to an unconscious depiction of the themes and ideas that shaped American culture at the time, rather than being conceived as a pointed critique by Lucas. This does not diminish the cultural legacy of the films but rather underscores the idea that oftentimes the most cutting sociological arguments and criticisms are created unconsciously as a result of the incorporation of real themes into a fictional tale. The cultural impact of Star Wars can therefore largely be summed up as a result of the distillation of many of the most important themes of American culture into a fantastical work of filmmaking, almost incidentally creating a perfect microcosm of the American cultural and political climate of the Cold War.

However, in any discussion of the impact of the Star Wars films on American society, it would be remiss to solely focus on the political and social ramifications of the impact of the films, without also acknowledging their impact on the industry of filmmaking and culture of Hollywood as a whole. As Roger Ebert stated, “George Lucas' 1977 space opera changed all the rules. It defined the summer as the prime releasing season, placed a new emphasis on young audiences, used special effects, animation, computers and exhilarating action to speed up the pacing, and grossed so much money that many of the best young directors gave up their quest for the Great American Film and aimed for the box office crown instead.” When viewed in this context it is indisputable that Lucas’s film reshaped the entire landscape of American filmmaking, redefining one of our nation’s most remarkable and enduring cultural exports in the process. By fundamentally altering the technological process surrounding filmmaking with the Star Wars films Lucas undeniably and permanently changed the cultural landscape of not only America but the world at large. To properly understand the revolutionary effects of the Star Wars films on the future of filmmaking it is vital to explore the technological decisions that were essential to the character of the films.

One of the most enduring aspects of the Star Wars franchise in terms of its profound impact on the art of filmmaking was the groundbreaking use of special effects in the films. As Jason Michelitch states, “With Star Wars, Industrial Light and Magic kicked off an exploration of the union of classic optical effects with digital integration and delivery techniques that brought audiences into more immediate contact with photographically captured illusions.” This fundamental transformation in the process of filmmaking has influenced nearly every film that has followed, as digital effects become increasingly ubiquitous and are frequently utilized to forge a deeper connection with the audience. The fact that Star Wars was the first film to truly begin this trend speaks volumes about the cultural and technological impact of the films and the unmistakably revolutionary character of Lucas’s filmmaking techniques (as also seen in Lucas' THX 1138). It is quite simply impossible to discuss the cultural impact of the Star Wars films without acknowledging the vital contribution of the technical aspects of the film to the art of filmmaking. These technological decisions undoubtedly play a large role in the enduring legacy of the film on a personal level for countless viewers and admirers.

This analysis of the film would certainly be incomplete without an assessment of the personal dimension of the film’s impact on myself as a viewer. The Star Wars films strike me personally as one of the most effective and memorable examples of the ability of films to transport the viewer into another realm, one so impossibly different from the reality that it would seem to be impossible to allow the audience to form a true and meaningful connection with the characters and plotline. And yet, by incorporating universal aspects of the human experience with beautiful cinematography and special effects the Star Wars films manage to thoroughly demonstrate the nearly boundless limits of filmmaking in terms of its ability to allow the audience to emotionally connect with settings and concepts so profoundly different from the defining aspects of our own lives. The pleasures of watching a science-fiction fairy tale set in outer space, and how incredibly relevant it seems to the overall human experience, is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful demonstrations of the art of filmmaking and its incomparable ability to allow the viewer to experience events completely outside of themselves and their typical experience. For this reason, Star Wars will always hold a place as one of the most remarkable illustrations of the power of the medium of film.

There are a variety of reasons for the incredibly profound impact of the original Star Wars films on American and global culture. In many ways, the films reflect the Cold War antagonism that defined American society during the period of their conception, and in fact, they were so culturally relevant that they went on to shape the character of this political discussion in the years that followed. In addition, their use of groundbreaking special effects and filmmaking techniques fundamentally altered the history of filmmaking, making them one of the most influential cultural touchstones of the last century. Overall, the cultural and technical legacy of these films is one of the most impressive feats in the history of filmmaking, and it is incredibly difficult to underestimate the myriad ways in which these films have helped shape American culture as we know it.

Bibliography

Brode, Douglas. The Films of Steven Spielberg. New York: Citadel Press, 2000.

Desloge, Nick. "Star Wars: An Exhibition of Cold War Politics." In Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology, ed. Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2012. 55-63.

Ebert, Roger. "10 Most Influential Films of the Century." Roger Ebert. http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/10-most-influential-films-of-the-century (accessed March 6, 2014).

FitzGerald, Frances. Way Out There in the Blue: Reagan, Star Wars, and the End of the Cold War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Kramer, Peter. "Star Wars: An Exhibition of Cold War Politics." In Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology, ed. Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2012. 63-77.

Michelitch, Jason. "Star Wars Revolutionized Special Effects Twice; Can It Do It Again?." Wired. http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/02/star-wars-fx/ (accessed March 6, 2014).